To start, we’re going to focus on how you, as a beginner, can declutter your space– the first and most personal step of minimalism.
This at-home step-by-step guide will make decluttering for beginners easy. Live out your first days toward a clutter-free life!
Minimalism. It’s more than just a buzzword. Why has this term circulated our media in the past few years? Personally, I see the answer as a response to a larger problem brought on by influencer-culture: overconsumption.
Overconsumption has run rampant. Trend cycles are turning over faster than ever, and we as consumers have unlimited access to products thanks to the internet. Influencers have convinced us we NEED something, and must grab it before it’s off the shelves.
If you’re ready to save money, live more sustainably, and experience better mental clarity from the simple lifestyle that minimalism can provide– read further to find easy ways you can begin a minimalist lifestyle!
Day 1: Clothing
Yes, clothing. I know, I know. If you’re anything like I was, clothing holds a lot of sentimental value. It can be hard to go through, but I’m here to help you. There’s plenty to cover, and I could create a whole article on creating and utilizing a minimalist wardrobe.
That being said, it’s your first day, so let’s make it easy.
Step 1: Remove EVERYTHING from your closet
This step will give you a fresh slate and force you to face every item you place in it. It will also give you the chance to clean somewhere you may not normally.
Another benefit to an entire cleanout is the awareness of your storage space. Is there space you could be optimizing that you currently aren’t? Do you need to add shelves someday or other storage solutions?
You don’t need answers today, but it’s going to benefit you to be aware of your space when you delve further in the future.
Pro Tip: As you remove clothes, leave them on the hangars and separate them into different piles, however you see fit. This will allow you to streamline the process.
Step 2: Keep, Store, Donate, Trash
You have four options for any piece in your closet:
Keep
These items answer at least one of the questions below:
Have I worn this in the past year?
Do I love it/ does it bring me confidence to wear it?
Does it fit me perfectly and comfortably?
Does it align with my personal style?
Store
These items answer at least one of the questions below:
Is this a sentimental item I want to keep as a memory?
Is this a seasonal item that I only use in rare instances?
Is this a costume piece?
Am I on the fence about parting with this item?
(**side note: whenever I’m unsure about parting with an item, I store it, and if I don’t go looking for it in a year, I get rid of the item the next year)
Donate
These items answer at least one of the questions below:
Is this unwanted but in good condition?
Do I have multiple of the same item?
Does the item no longer fit me?
Have I tried to style this, but it doesn’t go with anything?
Trash
These items answer at least one of the questions below:
Does this have an unfixable defect or smell?
Is this item falling apart?
Step 3: Send Off!
Now that we separated our clothes into different categories, it’s crucial that you get them into the right place and not stacked in your room, or you’ve just created more stress for yourself.
For the items you chose to keep, congrats! You are going to look and feel good in clothes that fit you and function well. The next step will discuss organization methods to help you as you move along throughout the process.
When it comes to storing clothes, I highly recommend getting bins. Walmart has some great affordable options. The one I linked has lids that have latch-handles, which make storing easier. You can organize according to season, or separate based off the questions I outlined above.
For your donations, you can fill garbage bags, but make sure you are folding the items neatly and give them one more quick inspection. We want to make sure that those who need secondhand items are still able to dress with dignity.
Take them right out to your car. Yup, right now. I want you to place them in the front seat if you can, that way you are less likely to forget to drop them off to the donation bin.
For the items you have to trash, try to recycle as much as you possibly can. A lot of textiles are actually recyclable, and Earth911 allows you to search your options by zip code.
Step 4: Closet Organization
Now that you have a lot more space (hopefully!), it’s time to put it all back together. This part doesn’t have to be miserable. Put on relaxing music, a podcast, or light a candle.
There’s a method I recommend for organization, but you have to go with what works best for you. I encourage you to think about your old way of organizing. What worked for you in the past? What didn’t work for you?
I personally use color-coding. Here’s some benefits I found:
- putting clothes back is mindless
- when choosing an outfit, it’s easy to find what I need
- before I shop, I know what colors I favor or try to avoid
If you know that won’t work for you, or you want to explore other methods, check out this article.
Day 2: Makeup/ Hygiene Items
Now that your closet looks fantastic, let’s move to the bathroom or vanity. We all have SO many products and we only use a fraction of them.
In this section, I’m going to focus on makeup, but the same concepts apply to any hygiene products you own.
Step 1: Check the Expiration Date
Every product in your bathroom expires, and it’s important to know when to ditch the eyeshadow you’ve had for 5 years. Yes, I know it’s your favorite.
I found two resources for you to use through this process. The first one involves the general length of time the product is good for (if you remember when you opened it). This information can be found here. The article also shares how to make your products last longer and a slew of frequently asked questions.
If you’re struggling to remember when you bought or opened a product, take a trip over to the handy-dandy cosmetic calculator. This will allow you to easily search the brand and the batch number to find out when your product expires.
Once you separate out the expired products, you will be left with your useable, bacteria-free products!
Step 2: Remove Duplicates
The difficult thing about makeup is you can have multiple foundations, multiple concealers, powders, etc. But only you know what you use the most. If you find yourself reaching for the same products every day and neglecting others, it might be time to let those neglected items go.
Step 3: Clean Brushes/Sponges/Towels
Bacteria can easily buildup on any makeup or hygiene item. That’s why it’s important to clean or switch out these high-contact items. Keep in mind here that even your application items have their own expiration date. If you’re cleaning and realize one of these is especially crusty— it’s time for a new one.
Step 4: Reorganize
How you organize your makeup and other bathroom products highly depends on how much you use them and how much space you have. You can optimize your drawer space and keep it organized with these drawer dividers from Amazon.
If you’re working with a vanity, I suggest using vertical space to your advantage so you have more space in front of you. Here is a vanity storage option to consider if you find your table space smaller than you’d like.
Day 3: Water Bottles & Plasticware
Ah yes, water bottles. It’s a tricky item because they are gifted often. Newer and cooler ones come out all the time, and we can justify each one. Well I can guarantee you only need one or two at a time.
My suggestion for this process is to gather all your water bottles together and weed out your least functional ones. Are you only able to use it for certain scenarios? Was it a gift from someone and you’ve always felt bad about letting it go?
Whatever it is, I want you to get down to 10% of your collection. That means if you had 50 bottles, you need to pick your top 5. If you had 20, you need to pick 2 favorites. This way you can guarantee you can actually get use out of your bottles.
Your plastic storage containers are actually going to be the most simple. First, you are going to recycle any container that is leftover from a food item that you washed (i.e. empty yogurt container). I understand reusing, but if it’s causing more clutter, it’s time to ditch them.
Your next step is going to be finding matching lids. And yes, I mean physically putting a container top and bottom together. You’re going to recycle any mismatched items. From there, stack lids together and consolidate containers to maximize space. If you’re looking for storage-aiding options here, I highly recommend this plasticware organizer.
Day 4: Phone
Often when we think of decluttering, we think of items we can touch, feel, and take up physical space. But your phone can get cluttered too. Considering how much time some of us spend on our phones, it’s good to have digital space decluttered as well. Let’s take today to make your phone less overwhelming.
.
Step 1: Delete Unused Apps
We all have them. The apps that you needed for one event or situation, but we forget the app exists. It’s time to go through all your apps and delete any that don’t make sense for you anymore.
Step 2: Delete Old Photos
For some, this can get really overwhelming. You probably put it off until you can move all your best memories to a hard drive. That’s understandable, so today you’re going to take an easier route. Just go through your photos and delete accidental photos, screenshots, and super blurry photos.
Step 3: Delete Voicemails/Texts
Old voicemails and texts are inevitably taking up space on your device, and you want to get rid of these– especially if they no longer hold value to you.
There’s more you can do to declutter your phone, but these items take quite some time by themselves and we’re only dedicating one day to this process. This will get you on a good track and encourage you to go further on your own, when you have more time.
Day 5: Computer
Just like your phone, your computer can also become cluttered. Oftentimes, we’re so busy working that we forget to take time to give our device some much needed TLC.
Decluttering your device can actually help your programs run faster and extend it’s life. Let’s go through just a couple steps since they require a dedicated amount of time.
Step 1: Delete Emails
Emails can quickly fill an inbox. You forget to clear some and all of a sudden you have 300 emails sitting there. You don’t feel like deleting them so you wait and BOOM. A week later and 500 emails.
You’re going to make this process less terrible and overbearing by adopting what I do. Since deleting emails is a mindless, but time-consuming task, try to throw on a movie and grab a snack while you do it. You’ll find yourself hitting the same buttons over and over again. Before you know it, you have an empty inbox in front of you and you got to watch a good movie at the same time!
Step 2: Delete Files
You can organize on a different day, but today let’s start with just getting rid of unwanted files. It should be fairly easy for you to determine the important files from the unimportant, but it will be time consuming and require a little more of your attention. Since files don’t accumulate as quickly as emails, you can actually break this up throughout the day.
Day 6: Books
Your current book collection might be a source of pride for you, but even the most avid readers can agree that they have books that they will likely never read again for whatever reason. It’s time to go through your books and get rid of any that fit this category.
Libraries are more than happy to take your excess titles to lend to others, and you’ll be grateful for the extra space and purposeful collection.
Day 7: Wallet
This is a category that may or may not be problematic for you, but if you’re anything like me, my wallet can become thicker and thicker over time.
Let’s start by taking out all the coins weighing down your wallet. You only need 3 of each coin. The rest can be deposited or put into a coin jar.
Next, you’re going to remove all the gift cards from your wallet and download the digital balance. If that’s not an option, make a plan with a friend to use it right away. This will actually save you a lot of space, and you are going to be more likely to use the “free money” just sitting there!
Lastly, if there are reward cards that you haven’t used in a while, see if they have a digital membership. Generally, reward cards are for the less tech-savvy. This should guarantee your wallet slims down.
Closing Thoughts
Congratulations on completing your week of decluttering! I hope you feel better having found a way to improve your space little by little each day. If there’s something else you need to tackle, you can take the concepts from this article and apply it to fit your situation. Thank you for walking through this process with me and prioritizing your mental health!
